Let's Play Ball
by TheSongbird341
Summary: Baseball was one of those things that had grown on her over time... like Peter had.


**Let's Play Ball**

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_Baseball was one of those things that had grown on her over time... like Peter had._

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Of all things others had told her to expect, this was something she hadn't anticipated.

When she'd announced her engagement to her friends, they'd given her a mile-long list of reasons _not _to marry Peter: he had a dangerous job, he was forgetful, he was boring, he was awkward and clumsy, or simply that she could do better. She didn't listen, of course, as most of those things she'd found endearing, and some just weren't true. They'd told her that he'd do things that would drive her crazy: he'd leave the cooking and cleaning to her, and stay out late without calling, and he'd forget an important occasion and work up some last-minute present that she would end up regifting behind his back. She'd chosen to ignore their claims, even if some of them were actually possible, and moreover, probable, solely because she loved Peter enough to look past those things should they have come to pass. Even through the constant flurry of complaints and warnings, she walked down the aisle sans breakdown and soon found herself Elizabeth Burke, proud wife of Special Agent Peter Burke.

Months after the honeymoon had ended, she'd steadily grown more conscious of the things the others had warned her about; more precisely, his lacking thereof. Aside from his habit of resting his feet on the coffee table, which she'd had to insist upon his ceasing, they had next to no issues. She'd been pretty optimistic that any drawbacks her husband provided would be few and far apart. That meant she'd made the right call.

Then, she'd been caught off-guard, suddenly faced with something no one had warned her about. She was hit by a terrible catastrophe, one that she'd experienced yearly with her father throughout her childhood: baseball season.

To be honest, El hated the game. She wished nothing ill on those who enjoyed it, or those who participated in it, but she wasn't a fan. She'd never quite understood the rules or terms thrown around while growing up, but as far as she was concerned, the sport was a monotonous and pointless waste of time. Of course, her impression was heavily based on the one super-fan she knew best; namely, her drunken uncle, who always managed to slosh a little beer in young Elizabeth's pigtails whenever someone struck out. She still vividly remembered her mother washing the alcohol out of her hair, and thinking to her sudsy self how terribly she hated baseball.

Naturally, she'd never shared this with Peter. Being a pitcher previously drafted by the Minnesota Twins and a vigorous fan of the game, she didn't want him to feel unsupported or resented in any way due to a simple distaste for the sport. Of course, it had occurred to her once or twice during the engagement that when they were married, she'd likely find herself stuck listening to sports talk... but she'd never considered the fact that she'd actually have to _watch _it if she wanted attention during that dreaded time of year. That was something she learned quickly.

When the dreaded season did catch her off-guard, Peter had immediately introduced her to the game. She'd wanted to share with him that she was certainly as familiar with the game as she ever wanted to be, but she kept to herself and instead let her cute husband enthusiastically inform her of his favorite players, games, and so forth. He seemed to be enjoying himself, so she listened carefully enough to ask questions and repeat the information back in conversation. Although she was bored out of her mind, she could see the excitement in his eyes when the first game of the season kicked off – or whatever the correct term was. There was no mistaking it. Peter loved baseball, and since she loved Peter, she took a seat beside him and stuck out an entire game like a champion. He didn't suspect a thing, and as far as she'd known, her job was complete.

Until another game suddenly appeared on her screen, and the surprise nearly sent her lunch up to play.

After the pleasant experience during the first game, Peter was looking up at her hopefully for the next. He hadn't the faintest idea that she hadn't enjoyed it as much as he had, so he didn't disguise his hopefulness. Since she couldn't say 'no' to those eyes, she poured herself a little wine – she'd need it – and curled up next to her husband, prepared to be jolted out of her thoughts by a few outbursts.

She was surprised to find that she hadn't needed to drown herself in wine to survive the hours. She hadn't been interested, of course, and had drained her first glass by the second inning, but at the same time, she actually caught herself paying attention. In fact, to the delighted surprise of her husband, and her own quiet shock, she'd actually joined Peter in a cheerwhen what he called a "grand slam" was scored. He'd stared at her in surprise, nearly missing the next man up-to-bat, and pulled her a little closer with a smile. She just blamed the wine... and poured herself a little more.

By the third game, she didn't have to be persuaded by a pitiful Peter to take a seat, and hadn't relied on wine to get her out alive. She put a little more effort into remembering which team was ahead and who was keeping them there, enough to engage in some discussion with the expert. After a few innocuous questions, she'd come to realize that she was catching on more quickly than she'd anticipated, and as the game was coming to a close, she felt a little blood pumping in her own veins. She accidentally got sucked into the hysteria of baseball for a few minutes. Of course, she'd convinced herself that it was only for Peter's sake; but Peter had known better. He recognized her straightening up and widening eyes when the game heated up; something nobody could truly fake. Not even the infamous Neal Caffrey could lie that well, meaning that he was turning her, slowly but surely.

In that knowledge, he'd jumped at the opportunity when their neighbors invited them to a party to watch the next game at their house. When El seemed hesitant, he proudly displayed what she'd deemed "chocolate-chip-eyes", knowing that he'd have her in a second. Unfortunately for her, he was right.

So, the Burkes showed up at the Clarks' house on Sunday afternoon, one a little more enticed than the other, but both with smiles on their faces. El had been slightly nervous, as she was certainly no expert when it came to what was wrong and right in baseball fans' eyes, but Peter assured her that if she was uninterested, it was perfectly alright for her to join the women chatting in the other room. She declined, however, and remained with him through the entire four-hour game.

She was actually glad she had stayed, believe it or not. During the game, she'd tossed in a few cheers of her own when a point was scored, and she'd surprised many of the men when she'd corrected their host on the seasonal statistics of the current pitcher... gaining a little respect from each of them as the only woman to appreciate the game with the men. She'd caught Peter's proud eyes on her a few times, along with a tightening arm around her waist when she captured the attention of his baseball buddies. At home, he'd later granted her the Best-Wife-Ever award, along with a prize that had absolutely _nothing_ to do with baseball.

And as baseball season was drawing to a close, she found herself a slightly-transformed woman. Not only had baseball became an anticipated watch rather than a chore, but she and Peter had grown closer with every home-run, victory, and Best-Wife-Ever award... although El was beginning to wonder if she was only winning because she was sleeping with the judge.

Nevertheless, she'd been, admittedly, pleased when baseball season rolled back around, as it meant more to her than it meant to most wives. It meant evenings of cuddling, of relaxing on the couch with a beer, of resting in her husband's arms with her dog curled up at their feet. It meant watching carefully, so she could keep up with Peter's spouts of anger, or, on the lazy afternoons, falling asleep on his chest, only to be half-woken with a jerk and a shout – upon which he immediately offered an apology. It meant no work and pizza and good times and misbehaving during commercials, and just being happy to be happy, especially because she was with the person she loved. That's what made it one of her favorite things to do, even if she wasn't an avid baseball fan. It made him happy, and that made her happy.

But that wasn't all baseball was, in her eyes. After reexamining her situation, she understood exactly _why _she'd watched it, and how it had changed her perspective. She wasn't doing it just to keep Peter in a good mood, nor was she entertained by the actual sport, at first. She'd sacrificed her evenings for something she wouldn't have done in the first place, but not because she wanted something in return.

She did it because when someone asked if she loved Peter, she said yes. That was an easy answer to give, but she didn't want to just _say _that. She wanted it to come from a place of honesty – she wanted to _mean _it. And there was no way she could do that if she neglected one of the most important principles of love: the aspect of giving and taking. That was the reason, she believed, their marriage continued to survive where others' didn't. Not because she sat down on the couch and kept her eyes on the screen, but because she was _willing _to spend that time with him, whether or not it was something she particularly enjoyed.

She did it because baseball was part of who Peter was, part of his past, and she didn't want him to change that because it wasn't part of who _she _was. That was something she wanted in return, when something that was part of who _she_ was came into play. She knew that she tended to drone on and on about things he wasn't interested in, and that he listened, anyway, only because he loved her enough to give her that time. What place was she in to deny him exactly that?

And mostly of all, she did it because she knew that in the end, it wouldn't feel any worse than saying 'no'. Ignoring his likes and interests was a path many women took with their husbands, but she didn't want to be that person to him. She wanted to be the person he didn't have to hide anything from, or hold back from, because if that was where their relationship stood, there wouldn't have been much reason to have married. Becoming his wife meant being his safe-place, his confidante, and his friend, while he did the same for her.

Watching baseball was a small price to pay for that kind of relationship, in her eyes.

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_**Well, I was watching Stealing Home for one of my favorite Peter/El scenes, blinked, and ended up with this on my screen. Don't know how it happened, but it happened, and thus is life. If you liked, make sure to leave a review, favorite, and alike. Thanks :)**_

_**P.S. If you like this couple, check out my profile. There's more.**_

_*** *-TheSongbird341-* ***_

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_DISCLAIMER__: I don't own White Collar, or baseball, dur hur hur._


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